Final defendant in major Oahu identity theft ring pleads guilty

The last of 14 defendants in an identity theft ring that prosecutors say victimized hundreds of Oahu residents this morning pleaded guilty to 80 felony theft counts.

The massive identify theft ring victimized 256 residents who lost $218,500 from May 1, 2010 to January 27, 2011.

According to the city Prosecutor’s Office, Pyong “Peter” Pak pleaded guilty without a plea agreement, and will be sentenced On Jan. 15 to 20-year prison terms on multiple Class A felony charges of identity theft in the first degree. Based on his prior record, he also faces a court-imposed mandatory minimum of 13 years and four months, the prosecutor’s office said in a press release.

The ring obtained personal information by breaking into vehicles, homes and places of work, stealing mail and rummaging through trash, the Prosecutor’s Office said. The information was used to create fake identification cards and counterfeit checks, and to apply for credit cards.

The other members of the ring convicted of identity theft-related charges, are: